Apparatus for compressing or exhausting elastic fluids.



No. 676,080. Patented lune ll, l90l. W. REAVELL.

APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING 0R EXHAUSTING ELASTIC FLUIDS.

(Application filed Nov. 17, 1899.)

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No. 676,080. Patented lune H, l90l. W. BEAVELL.

APPARATUS FOR OOMPRESSING 0B EXHAUSTING ELASTIC FLUIDS.

(Appliution and Nov. 17, 1899.)

(In Model.) 4 Shuts-Shea! 2.

No. 676,080. Patented lune ll, l90l. W. REAVELL.

APPARATUS FOR COMPBESSING 0R EXHAUSTING ELASTIC FLUIDS.

(Application filed Nov. 17, 1899) (No llodal.) 4 Sheats$heat 3.

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W. BEAVELL.

Patented lune ll, I901.

APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING 0B EXHAUSTING ELASTIC FLUIDS.

(No llodai.)

(Application filed Nov. 17, 1899.)

4 Shaets-$heet 4;.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEErcE.

\VILLIAM REAVELL, OF IPSW'ICH, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO REAVELL d: COMPANY,LIMITED, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FOR COMPRESSING OR EXHAUSTiNG ELASTIC FLUIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Letters Patent NO. 676,080, dated June 11,1901.

A li ati fil d November 1'7 1899. Serial No. 737,361. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM REAVELL, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain and Ireland, residing at Ipswich, in the county of Suffolk,England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Compressing or Exhausting Elastic Fluids, (for which I have appliedfor a patent in England, dated June 24, 1899, No. 13,161,) of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of this invention is to improve the arrangement andconstruction of an apparatus for compressing or exhausting air or otherelastic fluid, whereby its efficiency is increased, economy is effected,and facility in making repairs or renewing parts is afforded.

The improved apparatus may be directly driven by steam or othermotive-power engine, by an electromotor, by belt and pulley frompowershafting, or other equivalent means without departing from thenature of the invention.

In the further description of this invention reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectionalelevation (the connecting-rods omitted for clearness) of an improvedfour-cylinder air compressing or exhausting apparatus adapted forpulley-driving. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectionalelevation taken through the air-compressing end, partly on the line Y Y,Fig. 1, to show the arrangement of the cylinders and water jacket, andpartly through the line Z Z, taken through the center of one of thecylinders. Fig. 4 is an exterior elevation from the pulley end of theapparatus; and Fig. 5 is also an exterior elevation of the opposite orcylinder end of the apparatus, showing the air-inlet-regnlating device.Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are detailed drawings, on an enlarged scale, ofthe piston and connecting-rod of each of the four aircompressingcylinders employed, with their connections to the single crank-pin, Fig.6 being a sectional plan of a piston on the line X X of Fig. 8; and Fig.7 is a plan of a piston, showing the slot or port of an air-valve. Fig.8 is a vertical section of a piston, showing its connection to the outerend of a connecting-rod. Fig. 9 is a section at the crankpin, showinghow the inner ends of the con necting-rods are kept in contact with thepin; and the upper part of Fig. 10 is a vertical section through thepiston on the line of W \V in Fig. 8 and at its lower part a verticalsection through the crank-pin on line V V of Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is also adetailed drawing, on a slightly-reduced scale to the other details, ofthe outward end of a cylinder, with its delivery air-valves and means ofaccess to the same from the exterior of the ring-shaped casting formingthe frame for the four cylinders.

In carrying out this invention a ring-shaped casting oz is adapted toform two separate annular chambers and a frame for carrying fourequallyspaced radially-arranged cylinders b, all opening inward to aninclosed central space forming both a crank and an air-suction chamber0. The cylinders being arranged in pairs, each pair upon the same axialline andat right angles to each other,may be bored in position by aboring-bar passing right across and through openings in the casting a.In the smaller sizes of the apparatus the cylinders may be cast integralwith the ring-shaped casting, a small central hole being left in theoutward end of each cylinder for the passage of the boring-bar; but inthe larger sizes it is convenient to cast the cylinders separately andafter boring them to turn their outer diameter to fit into seating-holesin the frame, as .shown by the left-hand half of Fig. 3, which are boredon the same axial line as above described for the integral cylinders,outer covers b being fitted subsequently to close the holes throughwhich the boring-bar is passed. The casting a is arranged to form twoannular belt-chambers, one a cooling-chamber or water-jacket (1,surrounding most of the length of the cylinders b, which in thoseseparately cast have cooling-surface ribs b formed thereon. The otherannular belt-chamber, e, receives the air as compressed in the cylindersthrough deliveryvalves f, one or more of which is or are inserted in thecylinders outward end, as shown in Figs. 3 and 11. The belt-chambers dand 6 thus form a self-contained rigid circular frame a, surrounding andsupporting the cyl inders b, whether the latter are cast integral withthe said frame or separately and fitted into the axial holes bored inthe frame, as above stated.

A box-shaped base-plate 9, having standards g, carrying a central boss 9and circular end plate g is provided, and the boss is bored and bushedto receive the crankshaft 71 The circular end plate g is shown in Fig. 1as cast integral with the base 9 and slightly overhanging the bed-plateg in order to be faced and turned to receive the ring casting a wherethe latter is bored through (at right angles to the axial lines of thecylinders) to form the crank and air-suction chamber 0. A pedestal g ismounted on the base g and adapted to receive the further end of thecrank-shaft h and pulleys 7L2 7L but this part of the apparatus isliable to modification if other means are provided for driving theshaft.

The ring casting a has a slightly-projecting flange (1 extending intothe crank and suction chamber 0 on each face of the casting, which isbored and faced. This is fitted. upon and secured to the stationaryfaced and turned circular end plate 9 which thus carries the casting aand closes the aperture of the chamber 0 on the driving or inner face;but on the opposite or outer face of the ring casting a circular door tis fitted and secured to the corresponding flange a to inclose thecentral crank and suction chamber 0 on that side.Radiatingorotherorificesc areformed in the door 0 or in a supplementalcover a thereon, which is adapted to carry a grid or circular valve 0 ona central pin, the valve having corresponding orifices and arranged tobe capable of a slight rotative movement with the pin when the latter isturned by the lever cfiattached thereto. An adjustable balance-weight cis fitted on the lever, and a spring a is also secured thereto at oneend and to the circular door a at the other end, all as shown in Figs.1, 2, and 5.

An air-cylinder e is mounted on the door r, and through the bottom openend thereof a piston is adapted to bear upon the end of the lever copposite to the adjustable balanceweight 0" when compressed air isadmitted to the cylinder from the belt air chamber a through thecommunicating pipe 6 The airpressure in the belt-chamber e and in thecylinder e is therefore the same, so that when air is compressed (forexample) beyond a predetermined pressure the piston is forced outwardlyagainst the lever c and turning the grid or circular Valve e so as toclose the orifices c in the door against the effect of the adjustedbalance-weight c on the lever; but when the air-pressure falls belowthat required in the belt air-chamber e the weighted lever returns thepiston within the air-cylinder 6 and the valve 0 opens the orifices 0thus supplying more air to the air-suction chamber 0 to be compressedwithin the cylinders b. It will be seen, therefore, that while air isbeing compressed the devices described operate automatically to regulateits pressure to the desired degree, while, conversely, the apparatus maylikewise be used to produce a similar degree of exhaustion, and in orderthat the valve 0 may not act too quickly a suitable spring, such as c,is combined, as shown, with the weighted lever c to partially check itsaction. For marine purposes or where a weight is objectionablespring-pressure alone may be used for both purposes and the weightdispensed with.

The inward end of each radial cylinder b projects its full diameter intothe central crank and air-suction chamber 0, with those ends spacedsufficiently far apart to give room for the insertion and working of thecrank arm and pin it, with the four attached connecting-rods 1', eachsecured at the other end to a cylindrical or roller-shaped cross-head2', Figs. 6 and 8, which pivotally works in a suitable transversesocket-boring in its corresponding piston-blockj, so that the onecrankpin works all four pistons single-acting in compressing orexhaustingairin thecylinders. The cylinders Z) project sutiiciently intothe suction-chamber c to permit a port or ports b to be formed therein,which ports are just uncovered by each piston at the end of its inwardstroke to admit air from the suctionchamber to its correspondingcylinder for the purpose of compressing it in its outward stroke.

A space b is formed or cut transversely through the aforesaid projectingend of each cylinder, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to permit the removalor insertion of each connectingrod 2', with its cross-head t", sidewisefrom or to the piston-blockj. This object is further facilitated bycutting away one side of the piston-block at the point indicated by j inFigs. 6 and S; but sufficient metal is left, as shown in Fig. 10, tosurround and safely withstand the inward strain or pull upon the rod ionthe return stroke without fitting halfbrasses or other loose parts.

In Figs. 7 and 10 a long slot or port j is shown on the outward end ofthe piston j, and this, tdgether with a port 1? in the connectingrod,cross-head 11, and the angular motion of the connecting-rod 11 derivedfrom the revolution of the crank it, forms a valve-seat and valve whichis alternately opened and closed in a revolution of the crank-shaft.

The inner end of each of the four connecting-rods '11 abuts upon thecrank-pin h, as shown in Fig. 10, in a similar manner to that followedin the well-known three-cylinder sin gle-acting engines orair-compressors, a bush 7L3 being interposed between the crank-pinproper and the segnientally-fitted ends of the rods t'. The rods are cutaway radially where they adjoin in order to clear each other in theirvarious angular positions when they are working. In addition thereto thesegmental eye portion of the rod extending'from each axial face thereofis turned to [it neatly into an TIO end socket or cap i on one or bothfaces, Fig. 9, which thus incloses the said eye portions of the fourrods to take any pull from them. A screw it secures the cap i on theouter end of the crank-pin h, and on removing it from the tapped hole inthe crank-pin, together with the cap aforesaid, while the piston end isalso made free for withdrawal from the piston-blockj at the pointj, asabove mentioned, each connecting-rod can in turn be removed from itsrespective piston and cylinder when the crank-pin is at its farthestpoint therefrom, the transverse space 1), formed in the projecting innerend of the cylinder, being provided for this purpose, as already stated.Moreover, the whole operation is performed after the removal of thecircular door 0, the diameter thereof, as inclosing the crank or suctionchamber 0, being sufficiently large to enable workmen to accomplish thiswith facility.

When compressing air, the supply enters the four cylinders I) throughthe air-ports b from the inclosed crank and suction chamber 0, thepistons j in rotation passing beyond the air-ports on their inwardstroke toward the axis of the crank-shaft to permit the inlet of the airto theircorresponding cylinders. As each piston in turn begins itsreturn or outward stroke it first closes its air-ports and thencompresses the air within the cylinder until its pressure has increasedsufficiently to open the non-return delivery valve or valves f at theoutward end of the cylinder against the spring-pressure of the valve,which pressure may be varied to the desired degree by screw adjustmentor any other known way. The compressed air is thus delivered through thevalves finto the annular or belt air-chamber e up to the end of theoutward stroke, and as the other cylinders in the series of four followin close succession with their charge of compressed air thefeed-delivery into the chamber 6 is practically continuous; but when thesupply of air so compressed is greater than the working requirements,the pressure rises in the air-chamber e and the communicating pipe 6 sothat the increased pressure forces the piston in the small cylinder 6down upon the end of the weighted and pivoted lever 0 which, turning theattached grid or circular valve o closes the orifices c andautomatically cuts off the supply of air to the suction-chamber 0.Conversely, when the air-pressure falls in the belt air-chamber e theweighted lever c presses the piston back into the air-cylinder e andautomatically opens the valve 0, thus admitting air into thesuction-chamber c. The balance-weight c" is adjustable on the lever c tosuit the pressure required in the belt air-chamber c, and to prevent asudden movement of the lever a spring c is provided as a check. If aweight is objectionable, spring action may be substituted for bothpurposes.

When the circular valve 0 is closed automatically, as above described,while working,

a partial vacuum would be formed within the cylinders, which would leadto the air-pressure in the suction-chamber acting upon the crank side ofthe piston and cause a knocking action of the connecting-rod end uponthe crank-pin h at the ends of the stroke, thus reversing the well-knowncontinuous or constant thrust action upon the crank-pin of single-actingpistons, whereon depend their quick-running qualities. This knocking isavoided by passing a little air from the suction-chamber through theport i in the crosshead i and the port 5' in the piston j. (Shown inFigs. 7 and 10.) The port 7? is so arranged that equilibrium isestablished on the inward stroke of the piston (when the piston ismoving toward the axis of the crank-shaft) by the angular movement ofthe connecting-rod i when the two ports 1' and j come more or less intoline; but the passage is closed entirely on the outward stroke when thepiston j is moving to compress air.

It will be seen in Figs. 3 and 11 that the delivery-valves f at theoutward ends of the cylinders are quite accessible from the exteriorthrough the holes in the casting a, which are adapted, as alreadystated, for boring purposes, and these holes are closed and thesurrounding belt-chamberc made continuous by means of the covers b,whichare suitably bolted on. Suitable water-pipe connections d are providedas convenient to convey water into and out of the belt cooling-chamber(Z to provide a water -jacket to the cylinders b.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus for compressing or exhausting elastic fluids, thecombination of a base-plate having bearings mounted thereon, the outerface of one of said bearings being slightly overhung and extended toform a circular end plate; a frame supported upon said end plate andcarrying four cylinders, equally spaced and radially arranged, andhaving an air-chamber and a water-chamber within the said frame, thesaid cylinders passing through the said water-chamber and adapted to bekept cool thereby; a chamber in the center of said frame inclosed by thesaid end plate on one face and a cover with an air-regulating valve onthe other face, adapted to form an air-supply chamber to the cylindersopening into the same; a crank-shaft rotatable in the said bearings withits crank and pin adapted to work in said central space; means fordriving said crank-shaft, and means such as connecting-rods and pistonsfor compressing or exhausting elastic fluids in said cylinders by therevolution of said crank-pin; and communicating means such as valves atone end of each cylinder, opening into said airchamber, substantially asand for the purpose described and shown in the drawings.

2. In an apparatus for compressing or exhausting elastic fluids, thecombination of an annular frame having two annular chambers and acentral space therein, with four singleacting cylinders extendingradially at equal distances apart through one of the said chambers, inwhich a cooling fluid is adapted to circulate, the open end of eachcylinder projecting into the said central space to draw its air-supplytherefrom through suitable ports, and the closed end of each cylinderadapted with suitable valves to communicate directly into the otherannular chamber, an exterior cover in the outer wall of the said frameat the closed end of each cylinder adapted to uncover the valvesthereof, means to support said frame, and to close the opposite faces ofthe central space, and means to automatically regulate the admission ofair to the said central space, substantially as and for the purposedescribed and shown in the drawings.

3. In an apparatus for compressing or ex- 20 hausting elastic fluids,the combination of an annular frame having separate chambers for air andwater and carrying four cylinders opening into a central space, with acrank pin it, and connecting-rod 2' for each cylinder having aninclosing socket or cap 2' embracing the segmental ends of said rods, atransverse space 11 formed in that part of the wall of each cylinderwhich opens into the said central space, a piston-blockj for eachcylinder, and a spacej corresponding to the said space 1), wherebyeither of the said connecting-rods can be in turn transversely removedor replaced from or to the said crank-pin and piston-block,substantially as and for the purpose herein described and shown in thedrawings. v

\VILLIAM REAVELL. \Vitnesses:

CALEB ARTHUR BRETT, WALTER E. ROCHE.

